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After winning 200th, Hudson named PoW

4/30/13: Tim Hudson hits a home run to the opposite field and tosses seven solid innings as he notches his 200th career victory

By Andrew Simon
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MLB.com |

Braves right-hander Tim Hudson reached a significant milestone last week, and he has earned an award for his efforts. The veteran was named National League Player of the Week on Monday, for the week ending May 5.

Hudson went 2-0 with a 2.51 ERA last week, but more importantly, those were victories Nos. 200 and 201 for his career. That made the 37-year-old only the third active pitcher to reach the 200-win plateau.

Hudson hit the milestone on Tuesday, when he held the Nationals to one run on three hits over seven innings in a 3-1 victory at Turner Field. He even went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double and his third career home run, becoming only the second pitcher to homer and notch his 200th win in the same game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

"It's a great accomplishment for anybody," Hudson said afterward. "But honestly, I feel like it's something along the way, and I hope I can accomplish a lot more in this game. I feel like I can play for a while. I feel like I haven't missed a beat from 17 or 18 years ago. I'm just a little more crafty nowadays, and I definitely have more pop."

Hudson came back on Sunday in Atlanta and limited the Mets to three runs on five hits in 7 1/3 innings during a 9-4 win. Along the way, he improved to 79-0 in his career when pitching with a lead of five runs or more.

Hudson is now 4-1 with a 3.83 ERA for the season and is tied for third among NL pitchers in wins.

This was Hudson's third career weekly award and his first since April 9-15, 2007.

Andrew Simon is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @HitTheCutoff. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.